Scent to Her Grave

by India Ink

  After the song was over, Barb landed in her seat, laughing. She waved at the Russian and he winked and went off in search of new prey.

  “Oh, that was fun,” she said. “I haven’t danced like that in years—but don’t you tell Dorian! I promised I’d be on my prim and proper behavior tonight. And to him, that doesn’t include dancing with strange men, regardless of how innocent it is.”

  Her face was flushed and I could tell she was enjoying herself. This was the Barbara that I remembered from our younger days. She’d been footloose and fancy-free until she was twenty-three and happened to fall into the arms of a certain young Greek god.

  “He asked me to go home with him, so I let him down easy. He was very nice, though, and he dances like a dream.”

  I caught her gaze, wondering if I’d made a mistake by bringing her. “Are you sorry?”

  She shook her head without a second’s thought. “Don’t sweat it, Persia. I don’t want to go home with anybody but you.” At my look, she added, “Well, you know what I mean. To Dorian. This is just different. It’s exciting and gives me a little oomph in my life. But no, I’m not thinking of an affair or of running off anywhere. I love my home, and I love my business, and I love my husband. Even if he is a stodgy old stick-in-the-mud sometimes.”

  Every word rang with truth and I relaxed. She just wanted some innocent fun with a touch of intrigue. I’d have to talk Dorian into doing something spontaneous for her birthday.

  As we were sitting there, a man walked by. He was short, probably no more than five foot seven, and he must have weighed all of one hundred and fifty pounds, but he was beautiful, truly beautiful in every sense of the word, with delicate features, precisely trimmed eyebrows and pencil thin mustache and goatee. Neatly dressed in a narrow black suit, his jet black hair was caught back in a braid, not a single strand out of place.

  As he passed, I caught a whiff of his aftershave. It struck a bell and I closed my eyes, trying to place it. And then, I knew where I’d smelled it before—on Lydia, the day she came in for her custom fragrance. I’d thought it was perfume she was wearing, but she must have gotten some of his aftershave on her by accident. As I watched him head into one of the unmarked doors, I knew that he had to be Jin.

  I nudged Barbara. “That’s him—the guy that just passed. Come on.” I slid off my stool and, with Barb following me, headed for the door through which he had passed. No one seemed to notice and we slid through without a problem.

  The hall into which we stepped was painted a bright white in contrast to the bar, and the lights were sterile and antiseptic. It led past three doors, then turned to the right. I noticed the door nearest the bend closing and figured that was probably where Jin had gone. Before someone found us we hurried down the hall and knocked.

  “I just got here, so hold your fuckin’ horses—” Jin stopped short as he yanked open the door, staring at us. Obviously, he’d been expecting somebody else. “What do you want?”

  I drew myself up to my full height so that I towered over him on my stacked heels. “I need to talk to you about Lydia Wang.”

  He examined us quickly, then stepped aside so we could enter the room. “Who the hell are you?” he asked, jerking his head toward the sofa. “Sit down, but make it quick.”

  I glanced around. Standard dressing room, bare with costumes and makeup scattered around. Mirror that was lit too brightly, the air thick with his cologne. “My name is Persia Vanderbilt. As I said, I need to ask you some questions about Lydia.” I consciously moderated my voice so that I didn’t come off as obnoxious or pushy. Jin struck me as a man who wouldn’t look kindly on being pressured.

  “Questions, huh?” He stared at me and I met his eyes with a steady, unblinking gaze. “So, Lydia told you about me?”

  “Yeah, enough.” A lie, but Trevor needed all the help he could get and if it took telling a few falsehoods, I was up to the task. “The thing is, I’m working with a lawyer to find out more about her murder.”

  Jin dropped into a chair, a pained expression crossing his face. “Lydia’s dead? You’re joking—you have to be joking. I just talked to her on Monday afternoon!”

  Oh shit! He hadn’t known? But if he really was in the dark about her death, then he couldn’t have killed her. And his voice told me that, unless he was a stellar actor, he truly hadn’t known. I slid onto the sofa next to his chair and took a deep breath.

  “I’m so sorry to break it to you this way. Lydia was a customer of mine. She died in my store. As I said, I’m working with a lawyer to find out everything we can about her death. You see, one of my employees was accused of the murder and we’re trying to prove his innocence. I honestly thought you knew.”

  Jin shook his head, staring at the floor. “No, I’ve been out of town since Tuesday morning. I had no idea she was dead.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Lydia was murdered? I just can’t believe it.” Jin shook his head, then looked up at me, not acting like a bereaved lover at all. Oh, he looked shocked, but not devastated. “Who are they accusing?” A cold twinkle sparkled in his eye, one that made me uneasy.

  I took a deep breath. “Trevor Wilson, one of my employees.”

  Jin spat out an obscenity. “Bullshit, Trevor’s a wimp. Lydia could have whipped his butt blindfolded.”

  I gauged his reaction. No smell of fear, no smell of anger. Maybe he’d be able to help us more than I hoped. I motioned for Barb to join me on the sofa. “Trevor was framed,” I said. “We’re trying to pinpoint who might have it in for him. Like a jealous lover.”

  I could practically see the lightbulb flash on over his head. “And you think the ‘other man’ might be just the place to start.” He arched an eyebrow.

  I nodded, with just a slight upswing of my lips. “I suppose you could say that.” I had the distinct feeling we were playing cat-and-mouse. I wasn’t about to end up the rodent.

  He shifted position, crossing his legs. “Ladies, I can offer you the names of nine potential suspects with far more to gain from Lydia’s death than myself. In fact, I had a lot to lose.”

  Barb and I glanced at each other. I knew she was thinking the same thing I was. If he was Lydia’s dealer, then he’d lost a steady source of income thanks to her murder. On the other hand, if he thought he was going to be exposed, might not it have seemed more cost effective to lose one client rather than lose his freedom?

  “Nine suspects? How about names?” I asked.

  He leaned forward. “There were ten finalists for that beauty contest, with a big payoff for the winner. Don’t you think one of those girls might have wanted her dead? Think about it . . . if the winner cannot fulfill her obligations . . .”

  “Then the runner-up will assume the crown.” Colleen Murkins? True, she was assuming the position of spokesmodel now that Lydia was dead, but did she have what it took to be a killer? “What makes you think that Colleen is capable of murder?”

  With a snort, he said, “Because Colleen had already threatened to blackmail Lydia. That little tart has nerves of steel, I’ll tell you that.”

  “Blackmail? What on earth for?” But even as I said it, I knew. The drugs. Allison knew about them and somehow Colleen had found out and threatened to expose that fact to the papers, which would have forced Radiance to cancel Lydia’s contract.

  “We know she was using. I assume Colleen found out?” I didn’t mention that I knew he was her dealer. No sense in pushing the envelope.

  Jin snorted. “Practically every contestant in that contest was using, including Colleen. Lydia kept it tame compared to some of them. Diet drugs and speed, as much as she could get her hands on. She popped pills like a sugar freak pops candy, mainly to keep her weight down. That wasn’t what Colleen found out. No, she was on to something else, something that would have ruined Lydia’s career with Radiance Cosmetics and on the beauty circuit for good. The scandal would have dishonored Lydia’s family, a double whammy.”

  If it wasn’t drugs, what could it have be
en?

  “Plastic surgery?” Given Lydia’s vanity and her nature, it made sense. And since Radiance Cosmetics passed itself off as the “natural wonder in beauty,” they’d never allow a model who’d been nipped and tucked in all the right places. It would ruin their image if word leaked out.

  “Uh uh.” Jin gave me a secretive smile. “Lydia was all natural in that department. Besides, Eurasian eyes are too obvious and Radiance wasn’t interested in hybrids. No, Colleen found out who Lydia’s boyfriend was, and snapped a picture of them in the act. One worth a lot of money.”

  What the hell? “But, you’re her boyfriend. And while I’m at it, I might add that you don’t seem very upset considering you just found out your girlfriend was murdered!” I leaned forward, shaking my head. “For someone who was supposed to be in love with her, you don’t seem all that devastated.”

  Jin leaned back, his face impassive. “Obviously, your information is out of whack.”

  “Apparently. So, are you going to tell me who her boyfriend was?”

  He winked and gave me a secretive smile. “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” As he ran the length of my body with his gaze, I felt like he was undressing me, exposing every inch of my skin.

  “Knock it off,” I said, restraining an urge to wipe that smirk off his face. “I appreciate what you’ve told us so far, but I’m not a slab of meat. I know what you’re thinking right now,”

  With a snort, he said, “I doubt that, or you’d backhand me first and ask questions later. I don’t like to be goaded, woman. So don’t push me.”

  We stared at one another for a moment as I forced myself to calm down. Whether or not I liked his attitude, we still needed the information he could provide. “So if you weren’t dating her, then who was? We thought you scared her away from Trevor.”

  Jin cleared his throat. “Not me. Trevor isn’t a bad kid, though he’s a hick. I warned her to cut him loose if she wasn’t going to shape up, or they’d both be hurt because of her habit.” He leaned forward and I had the feeling he meant every word he was saying. “Listen to me, I liked Lydia, but she wasn’t my type. I like my women to have brains. She was a friend, and a customer. I got her the speed she wanted—at least I could get it clean and not cut with some other crap.” He was biding his time, I could see it in his eyes—he’d tell us what we wanted to know, but at his own pace.

  “The reason we thought you were her boyfriend is that she told her friends she was dating somebody who worked at the Blue Dragon.”

  “Somebody who supposedly hit her,” Barbara said. She’d been watching from near the door. “Do you know anything about the bruises she brought back from Seattle a few weeks ago?”

  He glanced at her. “You think I did that? No dice. Regardless of what you think, I cared about Lydia. I cared enough to let her use me as a cover. The fact is that yes, she did have a boyfriend in Seattle, but she wanted to keep his name on the hush. She got herself into deep shit, deep enough that there was no way out.”

  I perked up. It sounded like he was ready to spill the information we needed. “How so?”

  Jin crossed his legs and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and blowing a perfect ring before he spoke. “One of the judges knew how much she wanted to win. She met him through her uncle, or something. So they struck a deal before the contest. He’d see that she got the crown if she gave him whatever he asked for, but she had to be at his beck and call whenever he wanted. He likes to rough up girls, if you know what I mean. He has a very active imagination.”

  I shivered. From what Nadia had said, the judges already knew that the contest was rigged in Lydia’s favor. The pervert had used that knowledge to get her into bed and when she was there, had abused her. “You got a name for him? Sounds like he needs a visit from the Karma Police.”

  “No, what he needs is a visit from one of my buddies,” Jin said and his voice was cold enough to strike ice. “Colleen spied on them a few weeks ago and managed to snap a picture of Lydia screwing the judge. I guess Colleen figured she had more to gain through blackmail than by going to the company. After all, if Radiance ran a new contest because of a rigging scandal, she might not win.”

  “How do you know Colleen found out?” Barbara asked.

  He shrugged. “Lydia called me on Monday, shortly before noon. She was really upset so I caught the ferry and hurried over there as fast as I could. Apparently, she’d had a run-in with Colleen in some store. A little while later Colleen phoned her and threatened to spill everything if Lydia didn’t pay up.”

  I closed my eyes; the scandal would have destroyed her family’s reputation. “She would have lost the title, as well as any dignity she had.”

  “That’s about the size of it. And that title meant everything to her, it was her ticket to the top. Colleen hadn’t made any demands yet, but it was only a matter of time. I couldn’t stay because I had to get back here by seven-thirty.” Jin pulled out a small notebook and flipped it open. I could see it was a calendar. “That was the night that I danced a double shift.”

  A double shift? “What time did you finish up?”

  He smirked. “Why? Wish you could have been here?”

  I let out a long, slow breath. “Don’t overhype yourself —it’s not becoming.”

  Jin gave me a slow smile. “You aren’t that different from me, Persia Vanderbilt. You should hang around more often. We’d probably end up friends.”

  Right. Like hell we would. “So you never threatened Trevor?”

  “Trevor? No. But I did threaten to gut the S.O.B. who bruised her up. She got upset, told me not to touch him or she’d rip out my heart. I guess she was afraid that he’d blacklist her if I went after him.”

  Ah . . . the mysterious phone call Nadia had mentioned. “Back to Monday night. What time did you work?”

  He stood up and stubbed out his butt in an ashtray. “I was on stage at eight and I didn’t finish till almost midnight. Then I went clubbing with some friends. I got home at two in the morning and the doorman can vouch for that. The ferries don’t run that late, so there’s no way I could have gotten over to Port Samanish Island. I left town to visit my mother Tuesday morning and got back today. So you see, my dear, I couldn’t have killed Lydia Wang. And if you’ll excuse me, I have to change for my performance. If you like, you can stick around while I dress.”

  Silently, Barb and I left the room and headed back into the bar which had filled to capacity since we left. Any desire I had to return to the nightlife of Seattle had been squelched by this little encounter.

  “I just want to get the hell out of this seedy dive and never come back,” I told Barbara. Jin had answered a lot of questions, and raised a few more, but my distaste for the man was so strong that I wanted nothing to do with him or the people who came to see him. “Do you mind if we head out?”

  Barbara shook her head; the same look of disgust I was feeling was plastered across her face. “Let’s go. We can make the ferry if we leave now.”

  We drove back to the ferry terminal without incident. Lost in my thoughts, I couldn’t think of much else besides the insecure young woman who had pumped herself full of drugs in a desperate attempt to stay thin, traded her body for a beauty crown, and ended up bludgeoned to death in my aunt’s shop. The trip home was far more somber than the ride to Seattle had been.

  Auntie was snoring away in the rocking chair by the time I got home. She’d been waiting up for me, even though she denied it when I woke her up to let her know I was home.

  “Thank heavens you’re home, Persia Rose! I was worried about you.”

  “I love you too, Auntie. I found out some important things that Kyle will want to know. But right now, time for bed. There’s nothing we can do this late.” I threw my arms around her, feeling suddenly protective of the woman who had taken me in, raised me, and now was acting like any concerned mother.

  She nodded. “I’ve got news for you, too, but it will keep. Best get a good night’s rest first, Imp.” Refusing to say a
nother word, she padded up to her bedroom. I followed after making sure the lights were out and the doors latched.

  I woke late to broken patches of blue sky, but when I flipped on my radio, the weatherman said that we were due for another round. “The storm season isn’t over yet, folks, so fasten your seatbelts and batten down the hatches. Even though this morning started off with blue skies, she’s going to blow rough tonight.”

  Opening my window to let the crisp scent of freshly rain-soaked cedars and firs filter through the room, I contemplated what we’d learned. Jin hadn’t killed Lydia. Kyle would be able to establish his alibi easily enough, that much was certain. And now we knew that Lydia’s “boyfriend” in Seattle was a cover for her assignations with the contest judge. I had the feeling that her breakup with Trevor had come right after the beating, perhaps at the insistence of the judge.